Structures for supporting saws and for supporting the wood piece to be cut with saws are known in the art. A variety of saw tables and guides are commercially available. Two popular versions are the standard table saw comprising a surface for supporting the object to be cut and a circular saw blade extending therethrough. Another popular form of saw and saw support structure is the radial arm saw which includes a flat surface with a circular saw supported above the flat surface and moveable in relation therewith. An advantage of table saws and radial arm saws is that they provide support for the workpiece and with appropriate guides, provide uniform linear cuts.
Another widely-used form of saw is a hand-held circular saw comprising a portable structure having handle grips, a motor, and a circular saw blade. The hand-held circular saw may be conveniently transported and used.
The present invention comprises a support and rail guide structure for use with commercially available hand-held circular saws to provide advantages currently associated with table saws and radial arm saws including a support structure for the material to be cut and the capability of making uniform straight cuts utilizing guides in lieu of relying on the skill and coordination of the operator.
Various forms of guides or supports for portable saws have been identified. Gecmen U.S. Pat. No. 2,676,624 discloses a guide carriage for a power driven hand tool. The guide frame comprises a generally rectangular structure supported on rollers. Angular extensions are provided on each end of the structure for retaining a circular saw on the guide carriage. The rollers are located at each end of the carriage. The rollers are operatively engaged with a laterally-extending adjustable guide element, which guide element engages an edge of the workpiece to provide a cutting path a predetermined distance from and parallel to the edge of the said workpiece.
Schmidt U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,347 discloses an adjustable guide for portable saws. The guide is mountable on a handsaw and provides a guide bar disposed below the saw plate parallel to the saw blade. The guide bar is adjustable to position the guide rail at different distances from the saw blades.
Chang U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,475 discloses a saw guide comprising a first member extending perpendicularly from the plate of the saw, a rail guide attached to said first member, and a second member pivotally attached to the rail guide and extending to the rear of the saw plate, the first member and the second member are adjustably connected to the saw plate allowing the rail to be extended a predetermined distance from the saw and consequently the saw blade. The rail guide engages the edge of the workpiece to be cut.
Kloster U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,649 discloses a circular saw guide including a guide frame and a retainer means comprising a U-shaped frame member having a pair of legs and a cross member extending between the opposed legs. An edge guide is coupled between the legs, the edge guide engaging the edge of the workpiece. Saw cradle means are mounted for positioning on the legs. Castor supports are provided on cross member of the U to support the guide frame.
Ong U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,940 discloses a guide and adaptor for hand saws including a first member adapted to receive a part of the hand saw, a second member including an edge for engaging the edge of the workpiece and further including adjustment means for adjusting the engaging edge in relation to the saw, and including tubular means for connecting the first member and second member.
Knetzer U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,799 discloses a guide for guiding a tool on a workpiece. The device includes a guide rod with front and back ends. An angle section is provided for engaging the workpiece surface and edge. The angle section is pivotally connected to the guide rod. A guide tube is provide for releasable attachment to the tool which tube telescopically receives the guide rod.
Collins et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,152 discloses a device for mounting woodworking tools including a pair of spaced rails having a slidable carriage therebetween, the power tool mountable on the carriage mounting plate. The mounting plate is rotatable with respect to the carriage.
Commercially available hand tool guide means and the hand tool guide means described in the aforementioned patents do not disclose nor teach a support structure for supporting large workpieces and providing uniform linear cuts on the workpiece.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved support structure and tool guide for portable tools.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved support structure and tool guide for providing uniform linear longitudinal and transverse cutting operations on a relatively large workpieces, as well as relatively small workpieces.
It is a further purpose of the present invention to provide an improved support structure and guide adaptable to a variety of hand-held tools including circular saws and routers.
It is a further purpose of the present invention to provide a readily-transportable support structure and tool guide which is easily assembled and disassembled.
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by an improved support structure and tool guide for use with circular saws comprising two (2) pairs of parallel, vertically spaced, horizontally extending, support bars; the upper pair of support bars supporting by roller means a tool support plate, said tool support plate slidably moveable longitudinally in relation to said upper support bars; said pair of lower support bars supporting workpiece support members, each workpiece support member including channel members at each end for engaging and resting upon the said lower support bars, each workpiece support member further including roller accessory means suspended above the support member, said roller means supporting the workpiece; rail guide supported on the said lower support bars, said rail guide and support means comprising members extending transversely to the said lower support bars, a first surface of said support means and guide rails being generally parallel to the upper edge of the said support bars and a second surface of said support and rail guide members extending above the said support bars; a plurality of legs for supporting the said support structure, adjustment means provided for relative adjustment of the upper support bars in relation to the lower support bars; a plurality of openings provided in the tool support plate including openings for attachment of a tool with the cutting member aligned parallel to the support bars and opening means for aligning the cutting member transverse to the said support bars; said workpiece supported above said lower support bars and below said upper support bars; said tool support plate slidably moveable along said support bars for transverse cuts of the workpiece, and said tool arranged transverse to the said support bars and the workpiece slidably moveable transverse to the said support bars for making longitudinal cuts in the said workpiece.